Locked Walton showroom in Melandah reopened with police assistance following extortion allegations
Melandah (Jamalpur) Correspondent
A Walton showroom in Melandah upazila of Jamalpur, which had been forcefully locked up for a month following alleged extortion demands, was reopened on Thursday with police assistance.
The Malancha Walton showroom was unlocked around Thursday afternoon in the presence of law enforcement personnel, relatives of shop owner Masudur Rahman, and local residents.
According to Masudur Rahman, the owner of the Malancha Walton outlet, he had lawfully purchased the land for his shop from Saudi expatriate Monjurul Haque Babul of Vangunidanga village. Although a lawsuit was filed regarding the property, the court subsequently ruled in Masudur's favor, validating his ownership.
Following the court verdict, Hasan Kabir Humayun (40) of Adra village—a cousin of the land seller—along with 10 to 12 associates, allegedly barged into the showroom and illegally demanded Tk 10 lakh in extortion. When the owner refused to pay, the group forcefully locked the shop and issued death threats to Masudur and his family.
After failed attempts to resolve the dispute locally through community elders over the month, Masudur filed a written complaint with the Melandah Police Station.
OC ATM Mahmudul Haq stated that the police took immediate action upon receiving the written complaint, noting that the forced closure had not been reported to the station previously.
Meanwhile, the accused, Hasan Kabir Humayun, denied the allegations, claiming he has no dispute with Masudur.
